Birmingham Royal Ballet’s moon: uneven but high-scoring – Bachtrack

Carlos Acosta’s final commission for Birmingham Royal Ballet in his trilogy (City of a thousand deals, Black Sabbath – The Ballet) brings to the stage Moona ballet in six scenes, by five international choreographers combined with an all-female creative team. It was Acosta’s quest to redress the balance between works that have historically been dominated by male artists and choreographers in the industry.

Inspired by Louise Palfreyman’s book Once upon a time in Birmingham: Women who dared to dreamit celebrates the lives of 30 pioneering women and was published to mark the centenary of women’s suffrage. It is essentially an abstract work that reflects the empowerment of women under the watchful eye of Luna, the moon goddess. “Inspiration” is key here, because while there are obvious nods to individuals, the overall production is more thematic than narrative. It is ambitious and not always coherent, but there is much to admire. First and foremost are the dances, Kate Wheatley’s stunning score, exceptional projection and video design by Hayley Egan, vibrant costume designs by Imaan Ashraf and some impressive individual performances.

It was never going to be easy working with choreographers from different backgrounds and trying to put together a full-length piece with a linear score. Arguably, however, this allowed individual voices to emerge and deliver an evening full of variety.

Wheatley’s task must have been daunting as she set out to meet each choreographer’s expectations. Ultimately, she says, the responsibility was to adapt to everyone’s needs, because “All forms come from music.” It was in evidence from the start. Wubkje Kuindersma started with Terra. It was a seasonal expression depicting the cycles of the moon and changes in the tides, with an important opening of a children’s choir singing, “I am the sea and I have something to say.” They are joined by the dancers, led by the excellent Yu Kurihara and Lachlan Monaghan, in a series of flowing movements and unifying ensemble work that aptly echoes the score. In addition, soprano Marianna Hovanisyan and baritone Themba Mvula added a lot to the atmosphere with the richness of their voices, which was a highlight of the entire performance.

To Sita Patel Let’s learn to dream big followed by a scene that is closest to the narrative. With a group of young girls expressing their aspirations: one a conductor, another a doctor, an activist and so on, I’m not always keen on attempts by adults to portray children and here, despite their best efforts, it came across as contrived. There were also some slightly surprising musical interludes: an arrangement of Beethoven’s Fifth Movement for the candidate conductor and a blast of theme music from the BBC hospital drama, Victimfor the waiting doctor.

The third scene, unwaveringby Thaís Suárez, made the biggest impact. Focusing on a woman trying to turn misfortune into success and freedom, there were a number of reasons why this scene provoked strong emotions. Arrangement of Wheatley by Gabriel Fauré Requiem was superb, adding that Hovanisian and Mvula delivered again. Additional star turns came from Beatriz Parma and Javier Rojas in a harrowing duet that was memorable, in part for their physicality, chemistry and rapport, but mostly for their glaring emotional investment.

The second half started with Ariel Smith Empowerment for eight women led by Rosanna Ely. Smith proves to be a choreographer of great merit, and much of the movement is soft and dynamic. It might not have been her most mind-blowing achievement to date, but it was aesthetically pleasing.

Iratxe Ansa claims to have been inspired by artist Barbara Walker’s monochrome work in it Overexposed. Suggesting that women can often feel neglected or invisible, Parma was once again the center of attention in her red dress, manipulated by men who look like mummies with bandaged heads. If she felt like she wasn’t being heard, by the time the bandages came off she looked like a frontrunner and along with Riku Ito delivered some of the most innovative lifts and passages with some really intriguing choreography.

Quindersma was responsible for the closing scene, Moon. Expertly crafted, the full cast has reunited, so to speak, to reach for the stars. The kids sang again and the choreography was really heavy. Despite all the good stuff on offer, it felt a bit like throwing an entire wardrobe of clothes into a suitcase without folding a single item.

And Wei, conducting a magnificent Royal Ballet Symphony, brought grandeur to the performance, but audiences can expect to wander through this spectacle rather than feel emotionally uplifted. Hats off to the amazing BRB dancers and especially to all the women involved.

***11